Flanging-machine



(No Model.)

A. WILBUR.

FLANGING MACHINE.

, Patented Apr. 17,18

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Inneniur lfreal in full lines.

UNITED STATES \ATEN Erica.

ALFRED \VILBUR, OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA.

FLANGING- MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 276,111, dated April 17, 1883.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALFRED W1LBUR,of Allegheny city, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Flanging-lllachines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in Which Figure 1 is a vertical central section of my improved flangin'g-machine, part being shown Fig. 2 is a detached view of the flanging-head in section and the shaft and sleeve on which it is supported in full lines. Fig.3 is a side view of the flanging-head, and Figs. 4 and 5 are bottom views of flangingheads of irregular shapes.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in each.

My invention relates to machines for forming what are termed inside flanges on boil er-heads and like plates of metal, such as flanges around flue holes. These machines are generally formed of a cage having an annular former at its base, a flanging-head supported on a shaft extending up through the cage, and mechanism for drawing the head up within the former, theplate to be flanged being placed over the head and its shaft and under the annular former, and the head being drawn by means of its shaft through the hole in the plate and bending the flange up against the annular former. The principal object of my invention is to improve the construction of these machines in certain particulars, and sorender their operation more perfect, and enable them to form more evenly bent and truer flanges, as well as to form flanges around irregularly-shaped holes, such as man-holes and flue-holes having other than circular form.

My invention consists, first, in providing the flanging-head shaft with a taperiug'sleeve secured at its base, and having an annular rim or flange, around which sleeve and by means of which rim the flanging-head is supported; second, in combining with this sleeve,

or the flan gin g-head supported on the shaft, a stationary guide-pin secured to the base of the machine and extending up within the sleeve or head to guide its movement in flanging; third, in forming the flanging-head of a curved or conoidal shape, so that it will press against a greater portion of the surface to be flanged, and so bend it up without tearing, and afterward press the flange thus bent up firmly against the annular former; fourth,in providing the flanging-head with a series of pressing-faces extending diagonally across its upper surface to enable it to expand the metal of the flange more easily; and, finally, in details of construction hereinafter specifically set forth.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will describe its construction and operation.

In the drawings referred to, A represents the base of my improved flanging-machine; B B, the standards, and G the top brace. Secured to the base A is the table D, on which the plate to be flanged is supported. Above the table D is the cage E, having the top ring, 6, and to which, at the base, is bolted or otherwise removably secured the annular formerf, the inner surface of the former acting as the anvil or seat against which the flange of the metal plate is pressed. These parts are of the ordinary construction.

The flanging-head shaft G is provided at its base with a sleeve, h,which is screwed or otherwise secured thereon, the sleeve being tapering in form, and having the annular rim or flange it, around which tapering sleeve and on which rim the flanging-head K is supported by means of its hub k. The flanging-head is curved or conoidal in form, the upper part being formed in a gradual curve, which gradually fades at the greatest diameter until it is straight or tapering slightly downward. By this construction the head is adapted to expandand bend over the flange more easily and truly, the upper curved portion enabling the head to press against a greater portion of the metal to be flanged, and so spread it without excessive tearing strain thereon, and the curved surface of the head still giving a large bearingsurface on the flange as it is bent over untilit is pressed tightly against the inner surface of the annular formerf by the straight portion of the head. The flanging-head K is provided with a series of pressing-faces, 1, extending diagonally across its upper surface, and separated by depressions or grooves extending in the same direction, these diagonally-extending pressing-faces serving still further to prevent the tearing of the metal spread in forming the flange by imparting a diagonal pressing-strain theretoinstead of a direct upward strain,which might tear the plate and render it useless. The facesl extend only part way down the surface of the head, the depressions between them fading away before they reach its largest diameter, so that when the head is drawn through the metal plate and presses the flange formed thereby against the annular former f it presents a smooth surface the full size of the inner diameter of the flange. The flang-. ing-head may be made entirely of cast-iron, or may be made in two parts, its body m being cast, and having a ring or flange around its base, on which is supported a hardened-steel ring, at. This latter construction is preferred, as it gives a hardened face to the head at the point subjected to the hardest wear, and permits the use of thesame head for different sizes of flanges by changing the rings, which are made of different thicknesses and are interchangeable'on the same head, so that the same body, m, can be employed in forming. several sizes of flueholes. The flanging-heads are provided with hubs k, which are all made of proper size to fit the sleeve h, and are made hollow to lighten them, very large heads being braced, as at It, to enable them to withstand the strain brought upon them. The flan gin g-heads may either be circular, as shown, or of any irregular shape desired, such as that shownin Fig. 4 for flanging flue-holes ofirregular shape, or that shown in Fig. 5 for flanging man holes and hand-holes, annular formers or anvils of a shape corresponding to these heads being of course employed with them.

The table I) has an annular recess or opening, d, in the center thereof, and extending up in the center of this recess is the guide-pin a,

' which is rigidly secured to the base A of the frame, and extends up within the sleeve h, or within the flanging-head, if no sleeve is employed, the pin serving to retain the flan ginghead in proper position, and to prevent any sidewise movement as it is raised to form the flange.

Mounted in the top brace, O, in the same axial line with the guide-pin a, is the powershaft P, which is connected to the bevel cogwheel S, above the top brace, by means of a feather, 1). At the base of the shaft 1? is rigidly secured the tubular extension R, which carries within its lower end the nut 1, and this nut screws onto the threaded end 9 of the shaft G, and thus raises the shaft and flanging-head carried' on -it through the former f, without rotating the flanging-head, the end of the tubular extension pressing against the top ring, 0, of the cage, and the shaft G rising within the tubular extension.

Instead of the tubular'extension It, the nut 9" may be connected to the power-shaft by means of bars bolted to each, the only requisite being that a space is left between the nut and power-shaft, within which the threaded 'end of the shaft G may enter as the nut turns on it and raises the fianging-head.

Power is applied to the shaft P from the power-belts T T through the cog-shafts and bevel-cog s, which meshes into the cog-wheel S, and thus turns the shaft. The cog-shaft s is provided with the tight pulley t and with two loose pulleys, t t the power-belts T T passing around the loose pulleys when the machine is not in operation, and one or the other belt being thrown onto the tight pulley, according to the direction in which it is desired to rotate the power-shaft in screwing or unscrewing the nut r on or off the shaft G. At the top of the power-shaft P is the swivel a, which is connected at one end with the lever U, pivoted in the upright o, and at the otherlend to the hand-bar u, by means of which the power-shaft is raised and lowered, as hereinafter described.

My improved flanging-machine operates in the following manner: The flanging-head K is placed within the recess d of the table D, over the stationary guide-pin a, the shaft G extending above the table. The platewith the circular hole cut therein is brought to the proper heat, passed over the shaft, and placed on the table. The cage Eis then placed on the plate, the shaft G extending through the ring 6 of the cage. By means of the hand-bar a the shaft 1?, with its tubular extension It, is lowered until the nut r fits over the end of the shaft G, and the belt T is then thrown onto the pulley t, thus causing the rotation of the power-shaft, and causing the nut r to screw onto the shaft G, and thus raise the shaft and flan ging-head without rotating them The cage E is prevented from turning by means of the hook to, connecting it with one of the standards. As the tubular end of the powershaft presses down against the cage, and at the same time draws the shaft G through the cage, the cage is pressed down on and holds the plate firmly, and the nut gradually draws the flanging-head through the hole in the plate, causing it to press the metal that is to form the flange against the annular former or anvil fat the base of the cage and form the flange around the hole, and finally draws the flanging-head entirely through the plate. On account of the curved or conoidal form of the flanging-head, it presses against a greater surface of the plate to be flanged, not only at one point in its bend, but during the entire operation of flanging, and for this reason is enabled to form the flange without any great tearingstrain on the edge of the plate, and finally to press the flange tightly against the annular former, and so form a more truly bent flange. The diagonally-extending pressing-faces on the upper part of the head serve to press the metal of the flange only at difierent points around its edge, and to travel slightly around the edge as the non-rotating head is drawn through, giving a diagonal pressing effect to the head during the first part of the operation, while it has the direct drawing-strain, and is the full size of the opening to be formed at the lower part of the head, and is thus enabled to press the flange against the annular former around its entire surface at one time. The stationary guide-pin a holds the head from sidewise movement, so that if the plate is placed properly on the table the flange is formed the same width entirely around the hole. After the flange is formed the operator throws the belt '1. off the fixed pulley onto its loose pulley, and throws the belt T onto the fixed pulley, thus causing the rotation of the power-shaft in the opposite direction, so that the nut r unscrews from the shaft G. It is then drawn up out of the way by the hand-bar u, and the cage and flanginghead are lifted off, when-the flanged plate may be removed, after which the flanging-head is again placed over the stationary guide-pin, and the machine is ready to form another flange.

To form a flanged hole of another diameter an annular former of the proper size is secured to the cage, and another flanging-head placed over the sleeve h or another ring of different thickness is placed around the head, this latter course being generally pursued where the diameter of the hole to be flanged differs but slightly from that previously flanged. It the ring around the head breaks or becomes scored or worn out,it can be easily replaced, and thus greatly extend the duration of the flanginghead.

To form flanges on irregularly-shaped holessuch as boiler-flues or man-holes having the shapes of the flanging-heads shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings-the heads are placed over the sleeve h, and correspondingly-shaped formers secured to the cage, and the machine operated as above set forth. I am enabled to flange holes of these irregulur shapes by the use of the stationary guide-pin a, fitting within the flanging-head or its sleeve, as the unequal strain on the different parts of the flanginghead would throw it out of true line were it not held from side motion by the guide'pin.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In flanging-machiues of the class specified, the combination of the shaft Gr, carrying the tapering sleeve h, and flanging-head K, fitting around and supported on said tapering sleeve, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

fied, the combination of the shaft Gr, carrying the tapering sleeve h, having the annular rim h at its base, and the flanging-head K, having a hub fitting around and supported on the tapering sleeve and its rim, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In flanging-machines of the class specified, the combination of the non-rotating flanging-head, the shaft for raising the flanginghead, and the stationary guide-pin extending within the Hanging-head to guide its movement in flanging, substantially as set forth.

4. In flanging-machines of the class specified, the combination of the shaft carrying the sleeve, the flanging-head supported around the sleeve, and the stationary guide-pin extending within the sleeve, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. In flanging-machines of the class specified, the non-rotating flanging-head having a series of pressing-faces extending diagonally across its upper surface, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. In flanging-machines, the flanging-head formed of the body m, and removable and interchangeable rings 12, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

7. In flanging-machines, the combination, with the shaft G, carrying the non-rotating flanging-head K, .and the cage E, having the annular former at its base, of the rotary power-shaft P, having the tubularor equivalent extension R, and nut 6', supported at the base of the extension, said nut being adapted to screw onto or off the shaft (iron the rotating of the power-shaft, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I, the said ALFRED WILBUR, have hereunto set my hand.

ALFRED WILBUR.

Witnesses D. B. SHAMBAUGH, JAMES I. KAY.

2. In Hanging-machines of the class speci- 

